London 2012 blog

Just to remind us all of the benefits of sport in the wider community.  Cathy Hughes and I were invited to attend North East London Mental Health Trust’s (NELMHT) Annual Sports Day at Goodmayes Hospital. Getting staff and service users involved in sport has been an objective of the Trust’s Chairman, Jane Atkinson, since taking up her post 2 years ago. The hospital has extensive playing fields which were underutilised and there is some evidence that people with mental health problems benefit greatly from sports participation to aid their recovery.

So NELMHT have developed links with Leyton Orient Football Club to provide opportunities for their service users to participate in various sport events.

This was the second event. Last year’s sports day was opened by Tessa Jowell who kicked off the five-a-side football tournament.

This year’s event was bigger with a marquee with about a dozen stalls demonstrating various projects and programmes to help people across the community engage in physical activity and healthy lifestyles; for example healthy eating, cycling and football. There was also a full programme of sporting events.

The day was opened by Darren Campbell (4 x 100metres gold medallist in Athens) who visited all the stalls in the marquee and took a genuine interest in their work and people were genuinely interested in his achievements and asked him many questions. He then kicked off the five-a-side tournament. All games were refereed by representatives from Leyton Orient Football Club’s Community Sports Programme.

The participating teams were from local groups, hospital staff and service users; were mixed male and female and young and not so young. Some of the women were pretty good and very competitive. The day also involved cricket, table tennis, boccia, rounders and tai chi.

Darren’s program included lunch with young people in the Adolescent Unit at the hospital who had researched his career and athletics in general and prepared a presentation of their work for him.

The atmosphere was relaxed, friendly and fun and all who attended fully engaged in the different aspects as competitors, spectators and organisers with enthusiasm and commitment. 

The event demonstrated very clearly but simply that participation in sport for people who experience mental health problems can help with self esteem, confidence and the ability to re-engage with people through team work when their situation often leaves them isolated from society.

Also, hats off to the dedicated NHS staff who organised the day – they should be very proud.